Why it's okay to lie on your resume

March 04, 2014|Robert Pagliarini | Your Other 8 Hours

I'm a big fan of lying on a resume. In fact, I think everyone should do it. It's beneficial for your career and nobody needs to know about it. Ideally, if you do it correctly, you'll land your dream job and nobody will ever know you completely fabricated your education, skills and experience. With a record number of people out of work, a little (or big!) white lie or two can be just what this country needs to get back on track.

Here's how it works. Think about your dream career. Is it to be a Fortune 500 executive? To be a sports agent? To work on billion-dollar mergers? The trick is to choose a position for which you are currently underqualified. No sense lying on a resume for a job you are qualified for!

Now that you've identified the position you want, it's time to get creative. Put yourself in the shoes of the person doing the hiring. What would they need to see on your resume to want you on their team? Would they need to see that you have an MBA? CPA? If you're wanting to manage money for a hedge fund, they might want you to have the CFA designation. If you want to become a wealth manager to celebrities or athletes, they are sure to want you to have the CFP designation. What is going to get you the interview -- and ultimately -- the job? List education, dates and institutions.

After you've given yourself the degree and designations you need with a few keystrokes, it's time to move on to your experience. What is a realistic path to your dream job? In other words, where would you have had to work in order to pique the interest of the firm to which you are applying? What positions would you have had to hold? Since you've already fabricated your education, no sense in stopping now. List three or four or more companies you haven't worked for and positions you haven't had. Remember, the resume needs to tell a story. It needs to show where you started and your realistic progression to where you are now. The more details you provide the more believable your resume will look.

Next up? Skills. Is typing proficiency important? What about advanced computer programming knowledge? The ability to speak Mandarin? What will help you stand out from all the other applicants? If you think it will help you land your dream job, list it.

Once you've "updated" your resume, give a second look. Is it compelling? Will it help you get the career you want? If not, go back and add whatever you need because when it comes to getting the interview, you only have one shot to make a first -- albeit fictitious -- impression.

If you are happy with your new resume, there's just one more step before you send it in. Become the person on the resume. Use it as a roadmap to get your dream career by earning the degrees and designations, getting the experience and becoming adept at the skills you've highlighted. You want a dream job? Become a dream candidate.

Don't start digging a well when you're thirsty. By then, it's too late. Start today to turn the fiction on your resume into reality.

(Robert Pagliarini is a CBS MoneyWatch columnist and the author of "The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth & Purpose" and the national best-seller "The Six Day Financial Makeover." Visit YourOther8Hours.com.)